I assumed you needed to pay rent a camp site, but if you can just pitch a tent anywhere thats awesome!

Is is legal to just camp where ever you want in Michaux?

I don't know for sure, but I think it is as easy as picking up a free camping permit at the ranger station. They probably just want to know where and when you will be in case they need to evacuate you in an emergency like fire/flood, etc

I don't know for sure, but I think it is as easy as picking up a free camping permit at the ranger station. They probably just want to know where and when you will be in case they need to evacuate you in an emergency like fire/flood, etc

Primitive backpack camping is legal without a permit anywhere in Michaux as long as you do not spend multiple nights at the same campsite. The rangers don't really seem to care where anyone camps within the forest. The AT through-hikers rarely bother to get a permit from the Michaux office and they are the vast majority of campers in Michaux.

I made it up to Michaux yesterday on a last minute trip from southern MD. I didn't even take time to figure out what parts I wanted to see, so I just rode up and aimlessly wandered around. It was a really good day (the weather was a lot better up there than it was down here, so that helped, too) but I think I missed a lot of the forest roads.

I came in on Rattlesnake Run, rode up High Rock to Cold Springs, then to Three Springs and over to District where I stopped by the Carbaugh Reservoir.

I headed down Carbaugh and then found my way to Old Forge before turning onto Swift Run and then noticing the overlook on Snowy Mountain Rd:

On Coral Ridge (or Swamp Rd as Garmin calls it...) I ran across an Amish guy (I guess...he had black slacks, a white buttoned up shirt and the Amish haircut ) hiking the Appalachian Trail. He waved me down and explained that he was heading north on the trail and couldn't see where to pick it up on the other side of the road. Instead of picking a direction and walking a few hundred feet, he asked me to scout it out since I was heading west anyway. I waved him over when I found it and then headed on my way.

Not knowing where to go I hit 233 west and picked up the forest road at the top of the sharp left hand bend, followed it around to a left on White Rock Rd and then noticed Bricker Clearing Trail on the GPS. It showed up as a main road, but went from a rocky trail to a wooded two track run. I'm not sure if I was trespassing or not, but I ended up on Penn St property and never saw any signs posted. It was a nice little trail though:

I worked my way back southeast to Old Forge via Staley and Wirt, stopping at the end of Wirt to sit around the creek for a few minutes:

I ran Old Forge back up to Rattlesnake Run and then headed home. I'm pretty sure I missed a lot of good roads, but all that means is there's plenty that'll be new next time I make it up there. I just wish I lived a little closer...

__________________bad·guy [bad'-gi] vb (tr) bad·guyed bad·guy·ing bad·guys
1. To refuse to commit to an event, but most likely attend at the last minute.
2. To ignore an event until the last minute so as to avoid any expectations of attendance, but then show up anyway.

I've been up here the whole weekend. Haven't had alot of time to ride. I ran across an older guy Saturday afternoon on a black Drz just above the reservoir. I'll be out tomorrow morning rain or shine till about 10- 1030

Sorry I couldn't make it Badguy, but it looks like you got a good sample of the fun. There are hundreds of miles. Almost every one of which, SoPaRider (Distinguished Dr. Michaux) has mapped and written turn by turn directions for.

__________________Friends please consider this:
Want to help the Fox family (H14 and CampCook) materially? Details here.More details here.
Thank you all. I am very proud of my ADV family.

No worries, I hope you're feeling better.
I should've taken a picture of the satellite view of Michaux with me so I knew how far north it stretched...for some reason I thought I was going too far north I definitely want to get back up there with someone to show me more of the good stuff!

__________________bad·guy [bad'-gi] vb (tr) bad·guyed bad·guy·ing bad·guys
1. To refuse to commit to an event, but most likely attend at the last minute.
2. To ignore an event until the last minute so as to avoid any expectations of attendance, but then show up anyway.

I ran across an older guy Saturday afternoon on a black Drz just above the reservoir.

don't Jeff ride a black DRZ? Did you stop and talk to him? You might have met "Mr Michaux" :)

I was up but stayed on my side of the hill because I had family up. I took the wife out Sunday through some of Buchanan State Forest just to see if she could "hang" on the rougher terrain. NO problems I even took her up a pretty rough road I would not take the pickup truck on.

Do you know if Bricker Clearing Trail is private property, or was I ok taking that from White Rock Rd to the Penn State campus?

__________________bad·guy [bad'-gi] vb (tr) bad·guyed bad·guy·ing bad·guys
1. To refuse to commit to an event, but most likely attend at the last minute.
2. To ignore an event until the last minute so as to avoid any expectations of attendance, but then show up anyway.

I don't know if Bricker Clearing Trail is on private property or not, but if you came out on the Penn State Mont Alto campus I'm pretty sure riding motorized vehicles off of the pavement would be frowned upon there!

I don't have any pictures but enjoyed putting 100 miles on my SP200 Suzuki this sunday in Michaux! It was really cool because more trails were open due to an Enduro race was going on at the same time. Had a blast.

I got some great news from the Director of PaTRA, Dave Whiteman last night. The PaTRA & PaOHV efforts to stop the DCNR’s shortening of the Dirt Bike and Dual Sport season in Bald Eagle State Forest will not happen at this time. The two riding areas, 7 Mountains & Shade Mountain will remain open this fall. The District Office will pass this issue to the higher level authorities in Harrisburg. PaOHV has a meeting scheduled with the Secretary of the DCNR later this fall and will discuss the motorcycle riding issues. We owe a lot of thanks to everyone who wrote letters to the DCNR about this issue. Working together has paid off.